Cassie listened carefully to Michael as he explained the situation. His parents, his past—everything up to and including the horrible things he'd witnessed and taken part in when he was with Sangue Nero.
Everything except his current debt to Gio. That he kept to himself.
"They were the original Mafia?" she squeaked after all was said and done. Michael nodded. "Holy shitballs."
It had all been old news to Eli, but he still couldn't help but think about that poor unborn baby and the mother who'd seen it die before her life had been blotted out most viciously as well.
"If Michael hadn't done all those wretched things, he could have been punished. There are tortures that they inflict on a vampire without killing him. Silver spikes, starvation. Some are even forced to nearly die of it befor
